


Sunset Queens

by TessaDoesThings



Series: Tessa's Soft Wars [21]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Diplomacy, Gen, Growing Up, Language of Flowers, Legacies, Mentorship, Naboo Culture and Customs (Star Wars), Nubians pushing each other in rivers, Palpatine is a huge creep, Passage of time, Politics, Pre-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Prequel like tax discussion, Responsibilities, Sisterhood, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars, Swimming, Swimming in fancy dresses, Trade Federation (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:27:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29164947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessaDoesThings/pseuds/TessaDoesThings
Summary: A story about Padme Amidala, the queen who mentors her, and the queens she mentors.For the 2021 Naboo Review
Relationships: Padmé Amidala & Apailana, Padmé Amidala & Bail Organa, Padmé Amidala & Neeyutnee, Padmé Amidala & Réillata, Padmé Amidala & Sanandrassa, Padmé Amidala & Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious
Series: Tessa's Soft Wars [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829968
Comments: 17
Kudos: 44
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	1. Day 1 - Found Family

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Naboo Review](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/753819) by @RoyalHandmaidens (Tumblr). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the cusp of becoming queen, Padme gets some important advice about being queen.

Padmé Naberrie dips her toes in the canal outside her home, watching the water run over her bare feet. It was brisk but not too cold, and it’s a hot day out, so Padmé performs an ungraceful scootch forward across the sidewalk, closer to the water, and drops her legs down into the canal, submerging them up to her knees. The bottom of her dress is wet by that as well, but Padmé can’t bring herself to care. The rich purple fabric drifts beautifully in the current.

With a sigh, Padmé flops backward, sprawling her upper body on the stone pathway. Padmé can’t bring herself to care that she is technically in the way. No one uses this pathway, not since construction left it a pathway to nowhere when Padmé was little.

Padmé pulls the blue-purple hood down from around her face and lets the sun shine on it. It’s immediately warm – the sun is beating down today – but Padmé finds she doesn’t mind. After being inside of Theed Palace all day, it feels nice rather than unpleasant.

Padmé was going to miss doing this once she was queen rather than queen elect. From what she’s seen thus far, the queen of Naboo can’t exactly get away with lying in the street. Really, Padmé wasn't expecting things to get easier after she was elected, but she had hoped that maybe she would be easied into the increased workload of being queen. Padmé doubts she has ever been more wrong. Padmé barely feels like she has time to sleep anymore. Padmé has only made time to do this by ignoring her schoolwork.

These days, Padmé’s mornings are spent with her future handmaidens, undergoing extensive training in order to be able to protect themselves, conduct themselves properly, move as a team, and all the other duties that a handmaiden performed that were less publicly well know. (Spying. The handmaidens are spies.) After that, Padmé has two hours for all her studies and then has to rush back to the palace to shadow Queen Réillata for the afternoon, and often for more formal events in the evening as well. Shadowing the queen is no walk in the park – she is for all intents and purposes, another one of the queen’s handmaidens, and carries herself accordingly.

Both her parents and Panaka actually think she is with Queen Réillata right now. Padmé feels a little guilt for lying to them. Not a lot though, since the water and sun both feel really nice.

“Padmé?” A familiar female voice carries down the hallway, and Padmé sighs.

“Go away, Sola.” Padmé groans. Her sister is the only one who knows to find her here.

“Oh, is that your sister’s name? I confess I couldn’t remember other it when we spoke, so I just called her Lady Naberrie.” The voice calls back, and Padmé’s brain restarts as she’s suddenly able to place that voice.

“Queen Réillata!” Padmé shoots upwards into a sitting position as she catches sight of just the queen’s feet. Unfortunately, as she pulls herself up from her sprawled position, she does it far too quickly, and Padmé pitches forward and with a screech, Padmé falls into the canal. The water is only cold until she’s fully underwater, and when she resurfaces, finds the water a nice, cool temperature. Padmé hadn’t realized how warm she was until now.

“Are you alright, Padmé?” Queen Réillata moves to the edge of the canal, a concerned look on her face. Padmé can’t help it. She giggles a little.

“I’m fine.” She looks down at the purple and blue handmaiden’s gown she’s wearing, which is now as completely wet as she is. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this tonight though.” She comments, which to her surprise, pulls a full laugh from Queen Réillata.

“Do you want a hand getting out?” The older girl asks, crossing the street to where Padmé had been sitting. Padmé bites her lip. She knows she really should get out. This is the queen in front of her, and she does have places to go soon. Every lesson the Diplomatic Youth Program taught her says that Padmé should get out of the water now. But Padmé doesn’t really want to get out of the water.

In Padmé’s moment of hesitation, Queen Réillata launches back into conversation. “Is the water in this part of Theed cold this time of year? I know some of the canals are snowmelt, but I don’t know if they are here.” Padmé is struck by how much Queen Réillata knows that she still doesn’t know but answers the question anyway.

“It’s not to cold. It’s nice actually, on such a warm day.” Padmé responds. “I didn’t know any of the canals were snowmelt – but I don’t think this one is cold enough to be?” She adds, her own confession. Queen Réillata nods in acknowledgment.

“Alright then.” Queen Réillata responds casually. Then, in her long sky-blue gown and matching cloak, without so much as removing her ornate gemstone necklace, Queen Réillata throws herself into the canal next to Padmé. It sends ripples through the water that throw Padmé around not unpleasantly, and Padmé feels her grin widen even as she’s taken with shock.

When Queen Réillata resurfaces, the water and the current have washed all of her ornate makeup off, leaving only the big grin to decorate her face.

“Your Majesty!” Padmé protests and Queen Réillata makes a face at that.

“Please, just call me Réillata.” She insists and then splashes Padmé. Before she knows what she’s really doing, Padmé splashes Réillata back. Somehow, without the elaborate makeup, Réillata feels less… untouchable. Padmé supposes that’s the purpose of the makeup.

“I… okay,” Padmé responds with a smile, which is brightly returned. Gently, Réillata moves through the water to where Padmé has been treading and catches one of her hands.

“Padmé, is everything alright with you?” Réillata asks, which catches Padmé totally off guard.

“What?” Is her dignified response.

“You gave my handmaidens and I quiet a fright when Captain Panaka told us you were supposed to be with us,” Réillata says in a soothing tone of voice that places no blame, but still, Padmé feels a rush of guilt.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just…” Padmé trails off, trying to explain what had happened without sounding lazy or ungrateful.

“You just needed a little break?” Réillata finishes, and Padmé ducks her head.

“Yeah.”

“That’s totally alright.” Réillata finishes, and Padmé glances back at her in surprise. “We all need that sometimes. This can be a lot, especially at the beginning.” Réillata pulls Padmé into as much of a hug as she can while they both tread water. “Next time, just let me know, and I’ll cover for you with Panaka.” She whispers to Padmé conspiratorially.

“Really?”

“Oh absolutely. We’ve all been there. He can be… a lot.” Réillata says as though confessing a great secret. Padmé snorts.

“Definitely.” She ducks under and out of Réillata’s embrace. “We should probably go, there’s still probably time to get changed before we have to be back at the palace.” Réillata grins.

“Or, we can use the change of clothes I brought to go see a show at the theatre instead.” She says sneakily, and Padmé can’t help but look at her in surprise. Réillata shrugs. “It’s important for me to spend some time with my successor.” She pauses. “Also, a queen needs to take a night off here and now as well.”


	2. Day 2 - Royalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme has an encounter with a Queen-Elect who questions herself, and she is able to impart a little bit of wisdom to her.

Padmé wanders through the corridors of Theed Palace, a sense of nostalgia filling her. She hasn’t been back to Naboo in far to long. She’s been so deep in senate committees and political activism on Coruscant that she hasn’t had any time to return to her homeland. Well, no time to return other than her visit with Ani a couple of months ago, but they had spent almost no time in Theed at all, and definitely hadn’t spent any time walking these long, familiar hallways.

Now that the war has broken out, returning to one’s home planet has become something of a political statement. Coming to important events means that you believe in the strength of your homeworld, and it also means that if something happens to your people, you’ll be there beside them. It means you’re not Orn Free Ta.

Even if that weren’t true, Padmé would have returned for this week anyway. As a former queen of Naboo, it’s important for her to be present at the coronation for the new queen, especially since Queen Neeyutnee defeated Queen Jamillia, who is a well-known friend and political ally of Padmé’s. If Padmé had skipped this event, it would have sent the message that there was bitterness between the two administrations.

Padmé stops herself mid-stride as she realizes she’s about to turn down the hallway that leads to the quarters of the current queen. That’s not Padmé anymore. Logically, Padmé knows she’s been not the queen far longer than she was ever the queen, but on some level, being back in the palace makes her feel like she still is. The act of turning down the hallway to the quarters provided for the senator suddenly feels overwhelming wrong, even though, logically, Padmé knows that’s where her stuff is and where she’s been sleeping all week now.

“Glad to know I’m not the only one totally overwhelmed.” Padmé turns in confusion to see queen-elect Neeyutnee approaching from behind her. It takes a moment for Padmé to understand what the other girl is talking about before she really looks at where she’s standing and realizes that from the outside, it looks like she has been staring intently at the bust of Queen Yram in front of her. Padmé is about to say something to correct the queen-elect, probably something about the passage of time that Padmé would pray sounds wise, but instead, Neeyutnee continues. “I don’t know how you all did it – live up to their legacies.”

Padmé might be in the middle of her own crisis, but it can wait. She remembers how hard it can be to be the Queen-Elect. She might not be the outgoing queen, but it is still her role to be an advisor here, right?

“That’s the thing. You’re never going to be able to live up to their legacies.” Padmé starts, and Neeyutnee turns a withering glare on her. She’s going to do great in politics. Still, Padmé continues before Neeyutnee can protest. “None of us will. Their legacies, the way we remember them, we’ll never be able to live up to because we don’t remember their insecurities, the mistakes they make. All we can do is just take it one day at a time, and make the best choice we can in each moment.”

That gives Neeyutnee pause.

“Is that how you did it?” She asks after a moment. Padmé smiles at her.

“I was flying by the seat of my pants every moment I was queen.” That earns a small smile from the stoic queen-elect.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” The taller woman confesses to Padmé. “I don’t have King Narmlé’s drive to explore and settle all of Naboo,” She gestures at the bust of the ancient king in the corner, “Nor the brilliant mind of the scholar Queen Yram. I don’t even really have the faith in Naboo that Queen Sanandrassa had isolationist though she was, and I definitely don’t have your strength, that guided us through so much, Queen Amidala.”

“You never know.” Padmé eventually decides to say. “You never know what qualities you have until you’re tested. And make no mistake, with war igniting across the galaxy, you will be tested.” Padmé turned to look Neeyutnee straight in the eyes as she continues. “But the Naboo believe in you, or you wouldn’t be here. The Naboo believes in the power of your ideals. They believe in the person who ran for this position, who proved to everyone that she will fight for them and for Naboo.” And then, Padmé smiles as she finishes. “When we start out that’s all any of us had. So, we can’t know who you will become during your time as queen. But I’m sure whoever it is will be exactly who can serve Naboo best.”

“That’s what it means to be the monarch of the Naboo,” Neeyutnee mutters under her breath, as though coming to a realization right there. The line isn’t familiar to Padmé, but it sounds like something Jamillia would say. Still, there is wisdom in those words. Padmé turns to look at the busts of old, beloved monarchs.

“Exactly. That’s what it means to be the monarch of the Naboo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter, oops


	3. Day 3 - Diversity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme, on the verge of a critical choice, gets a visit and advice from a former queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter took a really long time to get where I wanted it to go. oops.

“We’ll figure something out,” Sabé says from where Padmé’s handmaiden stands beside her. Padmé wishes that she could share Sabé’s confidence. The weight of her position as Queen of Naboo has never felt heavier than it does right now, with the trade federation bearing down on all sides.

“Senator Palpatine will sort this out.” There’s Yané on her other side, and Padmé wishes she shared the other girl’s faith. Senator Palpatine has been trying to get the Senate to hear Naboo for weeks now to no avail. Padmé wishes she could bury her face in her hands, but since today she’s actually in the queen’s regalia, and more importantly, the queen’s makeup, that’s hardly an option. Rabé might actually snap and murder her if she ruined all of her hard work on making Padmé’s face appear perfect.

“We’re going to have to put our faith in negotiations with the Trade Federation,” Padmé responds. She doesn’t have to explain how her thought process reached that point. It’s just her and her handmaidens in the room, and they all know how her mind works.

“Will they even negotiate?” Rabé asks from her seat across the room. Padmé bites the inside of her cheek. They have to. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if the Trade Federation follows through on their threatened embargo and then refuses to negotiate.

“Your Highness.” The door swings open, and a member of Captain Panaka’s guard steps through and snaps to attention. It isn’t anyone Padmé recognizes; she’ll have to send one of her handmaidens to find out who is on guard duty right now.

“Carry on,” Sabé speaks for Padmé. The character of Amidala uses as few words as possible since she has so many different voices, so her handmaidens take turns speaking for her.

“A guest to see you, Queen Amidala. She says she comes to advise you.” Amidala keeps her confusion off of her face – she has not called for any of her advisors, and her handmaidens wouldn’t do it without telling her. (Barring one incident, but that was more of an intervention when Padmé hadn’t slept in seventy-two hours. Padmé slept last night, that isn’t the case here.) Only the former monarchs traditionally show up to offer advice without being summoned, but Reillata is off-planet right now, touring with the show she is in.

“Skip the commentary and just announce me!” A feminine voice calls from outside the door. It’s familiar in a way that Padmé can’t quite place or describe. A quick glance at her handmaidens shows that most of them are having a similar feeling.

And then the doors are opened, and she steps through, and Padmé instantly knows who she is. Queen Sanandrassa is dressed in a long, beautiful dress of golden lace which forms elaborate geometric designs as it falls around her form.

“Sanandrassa. Welcome.” Amidala herself speaks this time, trying to cover her surprise. It hadn’t even occurred to her that her guest could be Queen Sanandrassa because this is the former queen’s first visit to the palace during Amidala’s reign. She supposes it makes sense, though. Sanandrassa has more experience with the Trade Federation than anyone currently serving in the palace.

“Queen Amidala.” Sanandrassa curtsies before walking into the room to stand in the center of the circular space. She looks Amidala in the eyes, and says simply, “I understand you are having some trouble with the Trade Federation.”

If Padmé had been dressing as a handmaiden, she would have allowed her lips to twitch at that understatement. As it is, she simply inclines her head a little.

“They are threatening a full trade embargo on the whole planet unless Naboo pays all of the fees they have pulled from nowhere to add to the debt we have long paid off,” Sabé speaks from beside Padmé.

“The debt that they were owed for their financial aid following their role in providing financial aid to your programs to repair Naboo from the damages done by King Veruna’s reign was paid off by Reillata, as was agreed on in the contract. They are, predictably, attempting to scam and threaten their way to a cheap fortune.” Eirtaé adds from where she sits, next to Rabé and across the room from Padmé’s throne. Padmé suppresses a wince. Eirtaé is a vocal member of the portion of the population that believed that Sanandrassa’s decision to go to the Trade Federation was the cause of this mess. Padmé continues to reserve judgment.

“That is not why they’re doing this,” Sanandrassa says, and now she has everyone’s full attention, Padmé’s sure. She remembers suddenly that for all Padmé disagrees with some of her diplomatic decisions, the older woman is a gifted orator. “I reached out to one of my old contacts in the federation. The blockade exists to punish us because they disagree with Naboo’s recent legislative choices.”

Amidala is sure that she’s making a face right now, although she isn’t sure what it looks like. She hopes it doesn’t appear to undignified, as unlikely as that is.

“None of Naboo’s recent legislation should affect them at all,” Saché speaks this time. Sanandrassa snorts.

“If you truly believe that, you are far too naive. Everything affects the federation because they have their hands in everything.”

“Which piece of legislation do you believe they are objecting to?” Sabé cuts in before Eirtaé can say what they all see is on the tip of her tongue. Padmé doesn’t know what it is, but she suspects it will not be particularly diplomatic in this situation.

“This is surely a result of Naboo’s new diplomatic, immigration, and refugee policies.”

“Explain.” Sabé says exactly what Padmé would have said at that moment.

“As a result of this new approach, new trading partners are being developed, and now we are trading less with the Trade Federation. They are punishing us for that.”

“They’re throwing a fit,” Yané murmurs so that only Padmé and Sabé can hear her. There are similar murmurs from the other handmaidens in the room.

“What then is your advice?” Padmé speaks aloud and notices that Sanandrassa straightens up.

“Pull away from those deals. They’re new, we can say they simply aren’t working out. Naboo is currently suffering for everyone else’s sakes.” Padmé knows that Sanandrassa is famously isolationist. She just hadn’t realized until now just how isolationist the former monarch really is.

“I suppose you also think we should close our borders.” Eirtaé bites back. Padmé remembers a skit that used to be done during Reillata’s reign where they would have the queen give a speech during the show and then have a handmaiden stand behind her to act as her ‘anger translator’ and say what the queen is really thinking. Padmé thinks Eirtaé would be her anger translator.

“In fact, I do believe so. The people of Naboo stand alone against the trade federation. We cannot keep taking on the burdens of those who will not come to our aid, it isn’t sustainable. Once we end those ties, the federation will leave.”

“Just bow down to the will of the Federation, while we’re at it.” Eirtaé fires back. Amidala raises her hand, and everything her handmaidens were about to say drops off. Sanandrassa stills.

“I will not abandon our trading partners, not when the deals are hard-won and fair. Nor will I close the borders. That is not who the Naboo are.”

“You will make a mistake.”

“Look around you. The people in this room come from all parts of Naboo and are descended from those who came to Naboo from worlds across the system and across the galaxy. We are all here because we are striving to preserve the Naboo we love. The vibrant art and music and culture, which is that way because of the vibrant peoples who create it. I will not compromise what I swore to defend in order to bow to an invading force. I will stand by the promises I made to Naboo.” Amidala spoke, and it’s the most Padmé has said as Amidala in a long time. Sanandrassa’s face falls.

“I refused to compromise on my ideals as well, Queen Amidala. I refused to give up on the promises I made to Naboo as well, and look where that got me.”

“You made different promises,” Saché speaks again.

“You will be like me, then, remembered for what your choices cost Naboo and the decisions your successors undid. That is all the legacy there is for queens who stand by their ideals through their predecessor’s messes.” Sanandrassa bites out, and Padmé does understand her anger. As news of the federation’s threats spread, much of the people’s anger has been directed, largely unfairly, towards the former queen who once dealt with them. Such anger led Naboo to forgot how much Sanandrassa had fixed and repaired after she had been handed the destruction of her corrupt predecessor. Still, Padmé does not find that she agrees.

“I do not care how Naboo remembers me, so long as they are still able to do so in the ways I have long loved about Naboo – in Naboo’s art, in Naboo’s architecture, in Naboo’s music.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have not read any of the new Padmé novels so if the characters seem out of character that's why :/


	4. Day 4 - Handmaidens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme reunites with a pupil of hers just months before that pupil becomes Queen of Naboo. They talk about the most important part of their teams, the women they trust with their lives, and swap some stories.

Padmé exits through the opposite side of the customs office of Theed’s smallest spaceport. Normally, as a senator, Padmé is exempt from customs, because normally she flies right into the hangar in the palace itself. However, queen elect Apailana (Padmé will never get tired of saying that, she’s so proud of her pupil.) asked Padmé to not use the palace spaceport, and who is Padmé to deny the younger woman such a small thing?

Padmé understands so many complaints about customs now.

“Padmé!” A voice rings out around the mostly deserted room, and Padmé turns to see the queen elect herself waving to her. Padmé feels a grin spread across her face. The woman before her isn’t all that much older than the little girl who first came to study with Padmé, but she’s visibly more mature. The same youthful energy that has defined Apailana’s campaign is there, but it’s tempered with a new strength that Padmé can see. If Apailana was a diamond in the rough when she came to Padmé, the queen elect who stands here today has been not only polished but made into the beautiful centerpiece in a gorgeous necklace.

And Apailana does look gorgeous. If Padmé’s outfits as queen tried to capture a sense of fire and fight and sun, Apailana is the moon and the stars that counterbalance her. She has no crown yet – won’t until her coronation, but whoever does her makeup has added two little rhinestones at the inner corners of her eyes, and they, in turn, match the silver beads that are woven into and hang down from the younger girl’s hair. The patterns on her face are done in a pale blue khol which flatters the deep purples and silvers of her dress.

Padmé is so proud of her beautiful, royal, grinning student.

“Apailana! Funny meeting you in a place like this.” She says. It’s partially in reference to a joke that had developed between the two of them on coruscant, but mostly because she really hadn’t expected Apailana to meet her at the station in person. Apailana gives a cheeky grin back to Padmé.

“You taught me that when things get busy, it’s important to set aside time for self-care.”

“It’s one of the most important lessons my predecessor taught me, the least I could do was pass it on,” Padmé comments idly and decides that some time before Apailana’s coronation in three months, Padmé is going to have to find an excuse to end up in a canal with her. You know, for tradition’s sake.

“Well, this is my self-care time. I am spending time with someone I don’t get to see as often as I would like but who I love spending time with.” Apailana grins and loops her arm through Padmé’s. It’s not exactly proper conduct for a queen-elect of Naboo, but the other monarchs have always been exceptions to those traditions and rules anyway.

“Well, who am I to argue with that?” Is Padmé’s response, which earns a beaming grin. They make their way out of the mostly deserted spaceport to the streets of Theed. Between her own handmaiden training and all the time she has spent with the members of the Guard and Ani’s battalion, Padmé can pinpoint the exact moment Apailana’s new security detail joins them outside the spaceport, even though they are staying out of the way. Apailana doesn’t appear to notice. Sabé would be so disappointed in her pupil, but Padmé trusts that the 13-year-old (one of the youngest queens in modern history! Padmé’s so proud) will pick these things up in the brutal handmaiden training that is in her future. Actually, that reminds Padmé.

“Have you met your handmaidens yet?” She asks the queen elect, who _beams_ in response.

“I did! Just three days ago. They’re all wonderful.” Padmé grins at the excitement in Apailana’s voice. Meeting her handmaidens had been one of the best parts of being queen elect.

“Tell me about them.” Padmé grins. They turn onto one of the busier streets of Theed and Apailana unhooks her arm from Padmé’s, which Padmé understands and would have done the same, but she’s a little disappointed anyway.

“Well, there are five of them, and it’s a little weird because we all look so alike, but every time we train together that gets less weird,” Padmé notes as Apailana gushes that her student has managed to break herself of her habit of gesturing wildly as she speaks. She’s growing up. “There’s- well, they all picked new names this morning.”

“That is an important moment, and a big milestone.” Padmé grins, and Apailana _beams_.

“I know! Okay, so, there are five of them. Maphia and Sala, who are sisters. They’re both singers, although Maphia sings ballads and Sala prefers pop songs.” Apailana’s lips twitch. “I have learned a lot about the difference between the two in the past couple of days.” Padmé snorts. She remembers that. Rabé had taught her _a lot_ about painting, and Yané still holds many… opinions on the weavings in the palace. “Then there’s Shanta, who was raised in Otoh Gunga. Her parents moved there when she was four, and she continual expresses it is to see the sun every morning, which is equally weird for the rest of us.” Oh wow, Padmé feels old. Every now and then it happens, like when she’s reminded that Apailana was born during the reign of Queen Amidala. “And then Yimana was born on Naboo, but her parents and her brother were all born on Balmorra before they came to Naboo as refugees during the reign of Queen Reillata. And finally, do you remember Yasmin, who was in the Junior Legislative Program with me?”

“I do. The two of you were practically inseparable.” Padmé grins, remembering fondly.

“She’s taken the name Yonya, and is working alongside me,” Apailana announces, and Padmé gives her a soft smile.

“I’m glad. I have a handmaiden like that as well – Sabé was my best friend in the Junior Legislative Program as well, although we met before it, since we grew up on the same street, but she’s one of my closest confidants to this day and has stood by me through everything.”

“Really? I thought I was the only one who asked someone they knew before to join them.” Apailana sags with relief, and Padmé can’t help but laugh.

“Truly. In fact, it was Sabé who started the tradition of handmaidens changing their names alongside the monarch.” Apailana looks up at Padmé in surprise.

“Really? That kind of felt like something that… had just always been done.” Padmé squeezed Apailana’s hand quickly.

“Well, we have been doing it as long as you have been alive.” Apailana makes a face at that.

“You’re old.”

“I- thanks. Real diplomatic.”

“It’s just the truth.” Padmé restrains a sigh of amusement.

“Do you want to know another tradition that’s leftover from my reign that Sabé started?”

“You’re changing the subject.” Apailana sing-songs, and she’s not wrong. “But now I’m curious, so yes.”

“Sabé was the first handmaiden to actually act as queen when taking on the role of the body-double, rather than just all of us wearing the handmaiden’s garb while traveling,” Padmé confesses.

“What, really?” Padmé flushes as she nods her confirmation. “Now I want to know why.” Padmé is really glad she no longer has to wear the elaborate makeup and, as such, can bury her face in her hands.

“I snuck out of a diplomatic event with a couple of the other girls, and we all got totally covered in glitter and covered dye at the party we went to. We couldn’t get it all off in the morning, and we couldn’t admit we’d snuck out of a diplomatic summit, so Sabé, the only one of us not covered in glitter and paint, was queen that day.” Apailana bursts out in laughter right there, and Padmé suspects that if the girl weren’t queen elect in the middle of the streets, she would have doubled over. When her laughter dies down, Apailana looks at Padmé with the look the older woman has come to associate with having something on her mind.

“What’s going through your mind?” Padmé probes.

“It’s just… you always sound like you got along _so well_ with all of your handmaidens, but I don’t feel nearly that close with mine. Sure, they’re all fun people, but we just… don’t click like that.” The younger girl confesses. Padmé grins.

“We didn’t click right away either. It takes time, Apailana. It will happen. There’s no one a queen has to spend more time with or have to put more trust in than her handmaidens. At least you all get along already. My handmaidens and I could barely stand each other at first.” Padmé snorts remembering it all. “It will happen in time, Apailana, and someday, you will also have a thousand dumb stories to tell the future queens as well.”

* * *

Here's a photo-collage I through together of Apailana's handmaidens, all of whom are my OCs.

Starting at the top left and working around clockwise it is Maphia, Sala, Yime, Yonya, and finally Shanta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look, there was going to be a scene explaining why Padme had to go to a different spaceport, but it didn't flow right, so here's the deal:
> 
> Apailana is remodeling. 
> 
> That's it that's the story she thinks it's about time someone did something about the carbon scoring that's been there since the invasion of Naboo when Padme was queen.


	5. Day 5 - Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme has a falling out with an old mentor in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning: Palpatine's everything includes: some non-sexual touching that makes Padme uncomfortable and a wee bit of gaslighting.

The senate hospital is colder than the ones back on Naboo. The thought flits through Padmé’s mind as she catches herself shivering. She’s cold. Normally when she’s this cold, Padmé would send one of her handmaidens to her room to get a coat, or perhaps she would go back herself, posing as one of the handmaidens. Right now, doing either of those options feels disrespectful right now.

Padmé checks the clock on the wall again. It has been less than five minutes since she checked last, although it feels like it has been far longer than that. She wonders absently if perhaps the clock is slow. It isn’t. Sabe had muttered something along those lines and checked, back when they first arrived after the accident. The accident. That’s what the Senate Guard is calling it. Like it was just a mistake. Like someone hadn’t planted a bomb to kill Padmé. Like someone hadn’t planted a bomb that may or may not kill Cordé.

Cordé. Sweet, kind, determined Cordé. Even after Captain Panaka told her she’s wasn’t good enough to be a royal handmaiden, she didn’t let rejection stop her and stayed kind and stayed in politics and came around all the time to see Rabé, and bring her friend news from home. When it came time to assemble her team of senatorial aids, Cordé had been an obvious choice and had even become Padmé’s primary body double.

That might be the reason why she dies.

She wonders if Cordé blames her. If Cordé would blame her. Padmé likes to think the woman who became one of her closest friends wouldn’t blame her, but were they ever really friends? If they were really friends, would Padmé have sent her to die in Padmé’s place? What kind of friend was Padmé, if she hadn’t given it a second thought when they boarded the ships this morning.

Suddenly, Padmé’s glad most of her other handmaidens have gone for something to eat, and that Rabé had fallen asleep on the bench across from Padmé. Padmé doesn’t think she could stand to have their eyes on her right now, not after what she’s done.

“Thank you, doctor, I’ll speak to her.” A familiar voice drifts down the hallway, and Padmé jerks a little at the sound. The hospital isn’t quiet in any sense, but up until now it’s all been background noises Padmé could tune out easily. This, she can’t

“Chancellor Palpatine?” She asks hesitantly as the older man approaches. He’s wearing a formal navy blue robe, and suddenly Padmé feels very under-dressed in the pilot’s disguise she has been wearing since this morning. Palpatine sits down on the bench next to Padmé.

“Padmé, my dear.” He says after a moment that feels weirdly uncomfortable. “I’ve just spoken to the doctor who was in with your handmaiden.” Padmé’s head whips around to look at the older man.

“What did he say? I haven’t heard anything yet!” She practically cries.

“I asked him to speak to me first.” Padmé opens her mouth to protest, but he continues. “I did it for your own good, my dear. I didn’t think you’d be able to handle bad news from someone who didn’t know how to help you through it.”

Padmé feels the bottom of her stomach drop, and she feels herself _sob_.

“No. No. Cordé’s alive. I- she can’t be dead.” Padmé insists, even though she knows that when the surgeons had taken her in, they had warned Padmé that there was a chance the operation wouldn’t save her.

“Your handmaiden will pull through.” Chancellor Palpatine says and puts his hand on Padmé’s shoulder. He’s trying to be comforting, Padmé thinks, even if it falls a little flat. But- Cordé’s alive. Padmé grins like a maniac.

“Oh, thank the force.” Padmé breathes out, a huge grin spreading across her face. “This is good news, then. I’m sorry you came all the way down here unnecessarily.” Palpatine’s face is fixed in an expression of pity, and Padmé feels it sap away at her enthusiasm.

“Oh child. I’m afraid the rest of the news is bad.” Palpatine says to her. That’s why she likes him, she reminds herself. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He never has, even when Padmé was younger. “The accident has left her with significant scarring, and she may still lose an arm. She’ll never be able to serve as your body double again.”

Padmé knows that after Palpatine mentioned the danger to Cordé’s arm he kept talking, but Padmé can’t hear him over the ringing in her ears. It feels as though all her blood is rushing to her head.

“This is all my fault.” Padmé interrupts the chancellor. On any other day, she’d feel bad, but Padmé just drops her head into her hands. “I put Cordé up to this. This happened because of me.”

“Oh, my dear, no. Your handmaiden was only doing her duty to you.” Padmé’s crying, she notes absently. It’s the first time she’s cried over this. “She knew what being your handmaiden would involve when she agreed to become one.” Palpatine rubs Padmé’s shoulder in what she’s sure he thinks is a comforting gesture.

“She was involved in an explosion because of what _I_ said.” Padmé sobs.

“It was her duty to do so in your place, to protect you from that,” Palpatine repeats his earlier sentiment.

“And I have a duty to protect her as well!” Padmé retorts, feeling an irrational anger bubble inside, drying her tears.

“Her duty was to serve her senator.” Palpatine insists. Padmé feels anger rising in her chest, and almost wants to hit him.

“And as her Senator, I have a duty to her as well!” Padmé shrieks and pulls away from him. She’s definitely not crying anymore. “And what do you mean, was? Cordé is still my handmaiden!”

“My dear, she can hardly perform her duty as your body double as she is. The kindest thing to do would be to remove her from your service.”

“Her name is Cordé, and she is so much more than just my body double!” Padmé slaps his hand away as he reaches for her.

“With tensions rising as they are, you can hardly keep a member of your help who cannot function as a full member of her team.” The Chancellor speaks, and there’s a hardness to his voice. “You should send for another handmaid from Naboo when you send her back.”

Padmé sees red.

“Leave, Chancellor.”

“My dear-”

“Don’t ‘my dear’ me, Chancellor. If you cannot respect the members of my team as my equals, you are no member of it. I want you to leave.”

“Senator Amidala!” There is anger rising in the Chancellor’s voice. Padmé simply hardens hers.

“You are no longer welcome by my side, Chancellor. Leave. Before my handmaidens return and make you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is late because I needed extra time to fix the level of Sheevy-ness


	6. Day 6 - Culture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padme spends an afternoon with a treasured mentor

“Oh, go on!” Padmé watches as Breha grabs Bail’s hand and pulls him out of his chair with a giggle.

“Breha!” Bail protests as the book he had been reading falls to the ground. Still, the protest is full of amusement.

“Sorry, not Sorry!” Breha sing-songs as she spins Bail around. Bail laughs as he extracts himself from her arms. He picks up his book from the ground and set it on the table.

“What are you reading, Bail?” Padmé chimes in from where she’s standing in the doorway of the suite the two of them are sharing while here on Naboo. Bail grins at her.

“I’m just brushing up on the history of today’s festival.” Bail responds, and Padmé can’t help but laugh.

“What’s there to brush up on, it’s pretty straightforward?” Padmé heckles her friend.

“I found the history of the festival quite fascinating-” Bail begins, and Padmé grins mischievously.

“Bail, the festival celebrates the date Naboo joined the republic. We signed a treaty, and that’s about it.” She deadpans, and Breha snorts and pats her husband on the back.

“Go celebrate a treaty with Padmé, love. I’m going to go meet with Queen Apailana.” Breha announces, and the sweeps past Padmé with more flourish than was really necessary and a silly wink.

“Tell her I say hi!” Padmé calls after Breha and then turns to Bail. “Come on then, let’s go. The festival of lights is more about experiencing Naboo than it’s history.” Bail loops an arm through Padmé’s and she grins at him. “Besides, I doubt anything you do can cause it to go worse than it did three years.” Padmé giggles as she walks down the hallway with Bail by her side.

“Oh?” Bail asks.

“Well for one, you’re the most diplomatic man I know.” Padmé pokes Bail with her free hand. He snorts. “And for another, three years ago Dooku attacked in an attempt to kidnap the Chancellor during his speech,” Padmé says, and then has to take a moment to let her brain restart. “Now that I think about it, what was the point of all of that, in Palpatine’s grand plan? Was he just… getting kidnapped to amuse himself in between being chancellor and the Sith Lord?”

“Taking a day off from all the paperwork?” Bail suggests, and Padmé laughs with him. The guards at the entrance to the palace open the doors for them, and she and Bail walk out onto the steps of the palace. The sight freezes Bail in place. “Oh wow.” He breathes out.

The square in front of has been decorated with huge swaths of fabric that cross over the air and hang down the sides of the buildings. From the palace steps, the floral patterns that the fabrics are shaped into are obviously clear. Neither Padmé nor Bail speaks as the go down the steps, but by an unspoken agreement, stop under the first fabric flower.

“Blue and Silver?” Bail asks as he looks up at the fabrics. Padmé grins.

“They’re the colors usually associated with Queen Apailana.” Bail raised an eyebrow at Padmé, who grins. “They’re calling her the Moonrise Queen.” Padmé can’t hide her pride in her student.

“Any connection to your title of Sunrise Queen?” Bail asks, and Padmé shrugs. “I mean, besides the obvious teacher-student connection.”

“Probably? I mean, it probably has a lot to do with both of us reigning during a period of reconstruction after a war.” Padmé shrugs. The silver fabric twinkles as though it holds the stars between its woven patterns.

“I’ve never seen fabric like this.” Bail confesses, and Padmé grins.

“It’s made here on Naboo, like everything else on display during the festival,” Padmé explains. One of the weavers who is still wrapping a swath of the deep night-sky-blue fabric around a tree catches sight of the two of them, and crosses over to them with a bag.”

“Queen Amidala!” The weaver, a man of no more than 17 years calls. He pauses when he sees Bail but grins and continues smoothly. “And guest.” He adds with a grin.

“Hello there.” Padmé grins at him, and he blushes.

“Ah, these are a gift from Headmistress Yané for you!” The young man thrusts a pair of shawls at them and then flushes and goes back to his tree. Padmé grins and wraps the silver one around Bail, before wrapping the deep blue one around her own shoulders.

“Yané?” Bail askes, and Padmé grins.

“She was one of my Royal handmaidens, now she runs a weaving school. Her students made most of the fabrics on display.” Padmé says as she pulls Bail through an arched hallway which she remembers being added after the trade federation’s destruction. It’s wrapped up in fabrics on the end that they enter through, and on the other side, flowers hang down in strings from the ceiling. They both push daffodils from their faces and step into the next courtyard, which has been decked in floral arrangements from Naboo’s Botanical Gardens. With a grin, Padmé leaves Bail where he’s admiring a wire tree covered in Ithorian Roses to poke over to one of the shops.

“Excuse me, I had a friend place an order for me a couple of hours ago?” Padmé says to the Rattataki woman who is running the stand. She’s run the stand at this festival as long as Padmé can remember, although she knows the older woman came to Naboo during Queen Réillata’s reign. Padmé can’t imagine Naboo without her now.

“Yes?” The woman says.

“It was a wreath of Everlillies and Sweet Peas?” Padmé adds, and the Rattataki’s eyes light up. She turns around, and when she turns back to face Padmé, there’s a huge bundle of flowers in her arms.

“A gift for a teacher, eh?” The woman grins, passing the wreath over the table. As Padmé reaches for her purse, the other woman shakes her head. “Your friend already paid for you, deary.” Padmé blinks in surprise, but nods. She’ll have to check with Sabe if that’s true or if Padmé needs to arrange for the money to appear in the Rattataki’s pocket. Everlillies are not a cheap flower, and for a good reason. They take time and energy to nurture over a long period of time. It’s why they’re a common gift for a mentor who took time and energy to nurture you.

Padmé weaves through the crowd back to where she left Bail, who has managed to acquire to sticks of candied Meilroon fruit, and is staring at it, a little befuddled.

“Bail!” Padmé calls, and his head shoots up, and he grins. As she approaches him through the crowds, he extends his hand with one of the sticks of candies forward, offering it to her. She takes it with a free hand after maneuvering the flowers to just one.

“Where did you disappear to- what’s that?” Bail asks, and Padmé just grins. She has to strain up onto her tip-toes but manages to place it on Bail’s head.

“For you.” Padmé grins and then bites into the candy on the top of her stick. Bail lifts the wreath off of his head and looks at it with a pondering look.

“Okay, so I know the sweet peas mean thank you on Naboo, right? But I can’t remember the meaning of an Everlily.” Bail says, and Padmé conspicuously takes another bite of her candy and then takes her sweet time chewing before she finally answers.

“They’re a traditional gift for a treasured mentor.” Padmé finally answers and then sees Bail flush.

“I love you too, Padmé.” Bail pulls her into a hug.

"Come on, let's go light lanterns." Padme grins as she hugs him back.


	7. Day 7 - Free/AU/OC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a series of scenes that either weren't shown or were cut from other chapters where nubians push each other into bodies of water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter is narrated from everyone else's POVs, I gave them all names! Just like Padme is Queen Amidala, the other queens have names as well, most of which were pulled from the actor's names
> 
> Réilatta is Arden, named after the actress Arden Cho who is who Réilatta's creator envisioned when designed the character.  
> Neyutnee is Jameeelah, named after her VA from The Clone Wars, Jameelah McMillian.  
> Sanandrassa is Andrana because I liked that name and she has only ever appeared in writing and never been described a specific way. Also, she's blonde because I said so.  
> Apailana is Keisha, named after Keisha Castle-Hughes, who portrayed her in Revenge of the Sith

“That’s why it’s important to stay in touch with your predecessors and to be close to your successors.” Arden grins kindly at queen-elect Amidala.

“Réilatta?” Arden’s successor responds a little bit of curiosity leaking though. Arden beams at her. She’s glad that Amidala has dropped titles.

“They’ll understand the pressures of being queen unlike anyone else out there. You can let your masks down with the other queens, and just have some fun.” Arden looks meaningfully at Amidala. It’s important the younger girl understand that she can come to her whenever Amidala needs to, rather than bottling it up and disappearing.

“That makes sense.” Amidala’s lips twitch as she speaks before she looks at Arden. There’s something in Amidala’s eyes that wasn’t there before. Before Arden can recognize it, Amidala lunges towards Arden, and Arden finds herself falling backward with a squeak as she comes into content with the water.

“Rude!” Arden protests playfully as her head breaks through the surface of the canal. Amidala sticks her tongue out at Arden, so Arden splashes her. Amidala squeaks and then jumps into the water after her.

* * *

Jameelah’s sitting by one of the fountains in one of Theed’s central gardens when Amidala finds her. She’s not sure how long she’s been here. She can’t help but look at herself in the still reflection of the water. She hardly recognizes herself, although she likes the person she has become.

In ten hours, Jameelah will be _Queen of Naboo_. That hasn’t really sunk in yet, despite all of the work that she has put into becoming Queen Neeyutnee.

The face that looks back at her from the water is decorated in traditional makeup denoting the queen, and her hair is pulled back in a hairstyle meant to mimic the way Queen Jamilla had worn hers when she was still Jamilla, advisor to queen Réilatta.

“Neeyutnee!” Queen Amidala (Jameelah knows Amidala isn’t queen anymore, that she’s a senator, but Jameelah grew up with Amidala being the queen, so she will always be Queen Amidala in her head.) calls to her.

“Amidala!” She grins at the older woman.

“Mind if I join you out here?”

“Not at all!” Jameelah grins back at her idol.

“Everything alright?” Amidala asks, taking Jameelah’s hands.

“Yeah! Thinking good thoughts right now.” That gets a grin from the woman sitting next to her.

“Credit for your thoughts?”

“This is the first time I really feel like Neeyutnee, like the representative of Naboo. Like I’m living up to the legacy from before me. Like, now I can be who I need to be.” Jameelah speaks her truth. For the first time in her 16 years of life, Jameelah feels like she’s living up to the name her parents gave her. They’d been able to immigrate to Naboo before she was born due to a policy that then-Advisor Jamilla had championed. Jameelah has never lived up to her.

Neeyutnee is ripped from her thoughts as she gets suddenly wet, and she blinks in surprise from where she’s floating in the fountain, Amidala by her side. Jameelah blinks in surprise. The makeup is washing off of Amidala’s face, and she can feel a little bit of hers coming off two. Amidala grins.

“Sorry, I had to.” She grins.

“What?” Jameelah’s brain halts.

“There’s an old tradition of Nubian Queens throwing each other into bodies of water.” Jameelah can’t help the hysterical laugh that is her response.

“What?”

“It helps us let down our masks, so we don’t lose ourselves in who we are trying to be.” Amidala grins. “We dress ourselves up as the Monarch and we throw everything into being the best Monarch we can be, but we can’t forget who we are outside of that either.”

* * *

“Rassa?” Andrana hears a familiar voice from behind her and turns to see Rei approaching her from behind.

“Hey, Rei, what’s up?” Andrana responds like it’s totally normal for the two of them to meet on by a canal on the outskirts of Theed. They’re both dressing down, wearing just single-color dresses. Andrana’s legs are in the canal, and her blonde hair just hangs down loose. Rei plops down beside her in a movement that is very unlike the graceful queen that Andrana knows her successor to be.

“Well, I just spoke to one of Dala’s handmaidens. What happened that lead to her wanting to push you in the river?” Rei asks, and Andrana snorts.

“You were gone, and anyone with a braincell could tell Amidala needed advice. She just… disagreed with my advice.” Rei sighs.

“It was the isolation thing, right?” Andrana rolls her eyes.

“These days? It’s always the isolation thing.” Andrana can’t help but moan. She really does believe that’s the best path forward for Naboo, but she knows Rei doesn’t agree. Their debates are fun, but not what Andrana wants right now.

“I hope you weren’t too rude to Amidala.” Rei playfully hits Andrana on the shoulder.

“I was not rude!” Rei just raises an eyebrow at Andrana’s protests.

Andrana pushes her into the canal.

* * *

Keisha feels all her stress about her upcoming coronation melt away as she walks through the streets with Padmé. (She knows she should call her Amidala, but Keisha was Padmé’s student in the senate first, and everyone knows her as Padmé there.)

Padmé gets Keisha talking about her handmaidens, and Keisha is definitely gushing about them, (she loves them so much already) but Keisha has not forgotten her one goal for today. Padmé might have thought she was avoiding this by not telling her about this tradition, but Queen Neeyutnee had filled that gap in Keisha’s knowledge.

When they pass by one of the canals on an empty street, she shoves her mentor, and the two of them topple into the river together.

* * *

When Sheev opens the door to his office, he finds himself wet as a bucket of ice water douses him in its contents.

Attached to the bucket is a flimsy-sticker, and written on it is a simple message.

 _For C_.


End file.
